Monday, July 28, 2008

Aloo Bhindi


Are you the kind that likes tangy and chat kind of taste in your curries? Then you are bound to like this variety of Aloo Bhindi which is prepared the North Indian way. A close college pal of mine used to bring it very often in her lunch box and i used to end up finishing most of it. Although i didn't know how to prepare it then, experience did teach me to imagine what must have gone into it to give it that wonderful taste. Tastes very good with Rotis/Parathas.
Time Taken: 20-25 minutes
Serves about 3 people
Ingredients Used:
1/2 kg ladies finger(washed and wiped dry)
2 medium sized potatoes
1 medium sized onion(optional)
1/4 tsp cumin seeds and turmeric powder
1/4 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp red chilly powder or 2-3 green chillies1 pinch each of both chat masala and garam masala
Salt to taste
4-5 tsp cooking oil
Method of Preparation:
Chop ladies finger and potatoes into medium sized chunks and keep them aside. Take oil in a kadai/frying pan and warm it. Crackle jeera/cumin seeds in it. If you are planning to use onions, then fry chopped onions until they turn reddish. Then, add all the powders mentioned above except the chat masala and garam masala. Stir for a few seconds. Toss in the chopped vegetables along with required amount of salt. Stir well and fry on medium flame until cooked with lid of the pan covered. Add chat masala and garam masala towards the end of your cooking so that their flavour is not lost.
Note: Use your discretion while adding salt because chat masala also contains salt in it. You wouldn't want your end result to be too salty .

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Friday, July 25, 2008

Egg Chilly


This is the simplest recipe that can be prepared using boiled eggs and my brother who had picked up the recipe from the roadside vendor near his college gave it to me (he loves eating there), tastes best with roti or chapathi.


Time taken: 20-25 minutes
Serves about 3 people


Ingredients required:
3 hard boiled egg
1 medium sized onion chopped
1 medium sized tomato chopped
1 tsp ginger & garlic paste
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp of red chilli powder
1 tsp cumin (jeera) seeds
2 Tsp oil
Handful of chopped coriander leaves
Salt to taste

Method of preparation:
Heat oil in a kadai. Add cumin seeds and wait till it splutters. Now add onions and the ginger & garlic paste and fry till the onions turn pinkish. Add tomatoes and fry. Once the tomatoes is mashed and cooked properly, add the turmeric and the chilli powder and fry till the raw smell of the chilli powder is gone. Now add salt and half a cup of water and bring it a boil. Once it starts boiling, peel the eggs and add the whole eggs into the kadai, and mash with the spoon so that the egg whites are broken into pieces and the yolk mashes and mixes with the gravy making it thick. Once the gravy is thick and starts boiling switch off the gas, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with roti or chapathi.

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Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Vegetable manchurian


This recipe was first time made by one of my friend who is from Calcutta and from then on its one of the favorite’s in our potlucks and get-togethers. This dish has a Indo-Chinese taste to it and if you like the Chinese food available in India , then you are bound to love this. Try it out and let me know.


Time taken: 20-25 minutes
Serves about 3 people


Ingredients required:


For the vegetable balls
:
1 small cup grated carrots
1 small cup grated cabbage (the amount of carrot and cabbage used must be equal)
1 Tsp chopped garlic
3 green chillies chopped
1 tsp soya sauce
1 tsp red chilli sauce
salt to taste
¼ cup corn flour
1 pinch ajinomoto (optional)
oil for frying

For the gravy:
1 big onion cubed
1 green capsicum cubed
1 Tsp chopped garlic
2 chopped green chillies
½ a cup chopped spring onions
1 Tsp soya sauce
2 tsp red chilli sauce
1 tsp vinegar
2 Tsp tomato ketchup
Salt to taste
2 Tsp corn flour
1 Tsp oil

Method of preparation:
In a big bowl, mix together the grated carrots and cabbage and keep aside for about 5 minutes. This mixture will leave water. Squeeze out as much water as you can. Once the water is squeezed out, add all the ingredients for making the balls. Check for salt and more corn flour can be used to get a consistency such that small balls can be made from the mixture. Now deep fry the balls and keep aside. ( the oil should be really hot else the balls will break ).
In a big wok, add 1 Tsp oil. Once it heats up add the cubed onions and capsicum. And fry for till the vegetables are cooked and are still crunchy. Now add garlic and greenchillies and fry for about a minute. Then add the soya sauce, red chilli sauce and the tomato ketchup as well as the vinegar. Now add 1 cup of water and mix and bring it to a boil. Mix 2 Tsp corn flour with a little water and make a paste. Now add this to the wok stirring (if you don’t stir it might form lumps). This will thicken the gravy. Once the gravy thickens add the vegetable balls to it and bring it to a boil,
Check for salt. Add more if needed, garnish with chopped spring onions. Vegetables Manchurian is ready, have it with fried rice or noodles.

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